WP’OL

Olivier Lavoisy Urbi et orbi

« Editorial design for Print Media »

Courtesy of the bookshop of the MOTI in Breda, The Netherlands, an outstandingly enriched book is to be earmarked: Turning Pages. Editorial design for Print Media published by Gestalten. The introduction by Andrew Losowsky sets the scene:

To argue that print will be entirely replaced by technology is to repeat a huge misunderstanding of one of the most fundamental aspects of printing. Because a book, a newspaper, a magazine are themselves pieces of technology; honed by centuries of skill and imagination.

(…)

Essentially, it comes down to this: the survival of the physical product only makes sense in those situations where its physicality is a deliberated curated part of its design. Print has a presence and it has a legacy. It is the role of the designer to understand that, and to push its limitations. And if they don’t, somebody else will, because the barriers to entry for new players in the print game are lower than ever before. Print on demand is now available across virtually all media, and is continually being improved, meaning that the most significant cost is often not the printing or the technology, but simply the time put into creation.

This book is both a handbook with an impressive power to wrap up ideas and tips, and an incentive to move deeper and deeper into the edition challenges.

– #1 – Editorial, Concept, Idea – « Concepts resemble machines: they are the reason you work on the content, and at the same time they define the method of your work. »
– #2 – Object – « Form and content have to work together to deliver an idea that is enjoyable, useful, and informative. »
– #3 – Structure – « A fluctuating narrative keeps the curve of interest high, which is good for the reader and for advertising revenue as well. »
– #4 – Navigation – « Order, hierarchy, legibility, & impact. »
– #5 – Typography – « In my projects, typography is always one the most important issues. What is more exciting than choosing your outfit before going out? Typography is the outfit of the text. »
– #6 – Layout, Grid – « Without the grid nothing is possible. The grid means reference, order, hierarchy. The grid can be silent or loud. Most importantly, you can be imaginative and free working with the grid. »
– #7 – Cover – « The cover has 2 main functions: it needs to express our brand and mission at a glance, and it also needs to work as a newsstand sales tool. We find that provocation and light sensationalism, mixed with clean design, do well for us. »
– #8 – Visual language – « Images and graphics are necessary, but not as decoration. They are narrative tools. »
– #9 – The next chapter – « Print is the most compelling invitation into the GOOD ecosystem. When that stops being true, we’ll stop printing it. »